


Fade Away

by draca (wyvernwolf)



Category: Life on Mars (UK)
Genre: A2A Spoilers, F/M, Future Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-09-21
Updated: 2012-09-21
Packaged: 2017-11-14 18:06:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 809
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/518044
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wyvernwolf/pseuds/draca
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Many thanks to littleotter73 and thesmallhobbit for their beta skills.</p>
    </blockquote>





	Fade Away

**Author's Note:**

> Many thanks to littleotter73 and thesmallhobbit for their beta skills.

It was just on dusk, that strange moment in the day that Annie’s granny had called the gloaming and today more than ever, Annie felt that was the perfect name. It was eerie, the light still there but gradually fading yet not quite dark. Things appeared different, supernatural; slowly disappearing as the light went away and Annie felt unsettled. She’d rather be anywhere but there, but the Guv hadn’t given her a choice so there she was, wishing she was at home with Sam yet knowing at the same time that she’d never be able to do that again. 

Beside her, the Guv was as still as a statue and even Ray and Chris were keeping their peace. All in all, it was a solemn group gathered as the Cortina was slowly winched out from its watery grave.

Behind them, the murmur of the canal was constant. Considering the circumstances that had brought them there, it was a reassuring sound, and Annie let herself sink into it, the gentle sound drowning out the rattling of the chains and the whispered comments from the other police working around their little group.

What little calm she’d found abruptly disappeared when she looked up. Hanging above them, leaking dirty water like blood from a wound, the Cortina was obviously empty but none of them said a word. When it finally settled on the ground with a low groan, no one moved. In the end, after a hesitant look at the Guv, Ray walked forward to open the door and jumped out of the way almost immediately when dirty water gushed out and across his shoes. His cursing turned the air blue but Annie didn’t hear a word; her attention caught on the car and what wasn’t there.

Even though she’d already known the car was empty, she hadn’t _really_ known, and that made all the difference. Seeing the empty seat and the seat belt dangling forlornly over the side, she felt like all the air had been squeezed out of her. It took the Guv thumping her on the back before she realised she’d been hyperventilating. She knew he was talking to her, one large leather covered hand grasping her arm and all but shaking her. She ignored him, her focus elsewhere and staggered towards the car. She needed to take a closer look, needed to understand.

Sam had been behaving strangely the past few weeks but Annie hadn’t paid it much mind. A sudden rush of burglaries had left them all overworked and she’d put it down to the strain of doing his job, keeping Gene from rushing out and employing his usual heavy-handed method on the regular suspects to get results. They’d all been tired and out-of-sorts, even the normally even-tempered Chris snapping at everyone.

In hindsight, she should have realised, should have seen the signs. He’d been absent-minded, mumbling at the telly and radio and having conversations with the air. But that was Sam. He’d always been a little strange even if you didn’t take into account his little episodes after his car accident. It hadn’t occurred to her that these were signs that those episodes had returned. After all, they’d stopped. She’d cured him of that. They’d been happy.

But then a few days ago, Sam had disappeared and deep down, she’d known.

After the Leslie Johns case and that fateful day in the train tunnel, Sam had changed. The crazy behaviour had disappeared and he’d been so happy and upbeat that Annie had been even more enchanted. When they’d got together, she’d been over the moon, confiding in her Mum that she was certain he was The One. And the past few years had been wonderful. He’d treated her like a princess and an equal at the same time and Annie had never been happier. And when he’d proposed, on bended knee even, Annie had honestly thought that life had been perfect.

She’d been so wrong. All their time together, the laughter, shared confidences and whispered promises of forever had been as empty as the car in front of her.

Sam was gone.

The life he’d had hadn’t been enough. _She_ hadn’t been enough.

Full dark was finally settling when Annie looked away from the Cortina. Around her, the police were finishing up their duties clearing the scene, the light from their torches bouncing around and reminding Annie of the times when she and her Dad would sneak out to the corner shop for some chocolate. The Guv, Chris, and Ray were standing next to Ray’s car, not looking at her but just as obviously waiting for her. Taking a steadying breath and wiping away the tears she hadn’t known she’d let fall, Annie turned and slowly made her way over to them.

She didn’t look back.

Behind her, the canal continued flowing, its gentle murmur unchanged.

\--


End file.
